Clomp! Clomp! The sound of heavy footsteps came like the low beating of a drum before a sanguinary war ensued. It energized the battler and terrified the enemy. My hold tightened around the knife as I straightened up pointing it at the door. Clomp! Clomp! With every step nearing, my heartbeat quickened so much I felt like it was going to jump out of my mouth and ditch me. Even my hands gotten so slippery, I was struggling to hold onto the knife without cutting myself. The doorknob twisted slightly. Once. Twice. It didn't budge. I prayed and prayed hard so he would leave finding the door locked. He didn't. He stayed there.I could just imagine the reddish stuff in his anger calibrating scale going up. Then the jiggle of a key inserting into the lock sent a tremor down my back. I had been such a fool. Of course, he had the key. Hurrying to the door, I leaned on my back against the wall beside. Considering his inhumane strength, I would only have one chance. One chance to ram t
I stared at the broken pieces of the knife beside me on the bed. It was useless against that man. But it could of been useful to me. My hand stretched, curling around the spine and brought it closer. I glanced at my wrist, then the knife and back at my wrist, a voice in the back of my head repeating the same words like a mantra. Do it. Kill. End this misery.Kill. Kill. "No!" I screamed, straightening to a sitting position and hurling it at the door. The tip of the knife dug into the wood before falling to the floor with a clink, leaving its mark. Just like he did on me. I had gone to the washroom in the morning, took off my underwear and looked myself in the mirror. The gasp that left me was followed by a waterfall of new tears and sobs of pure humiliation. My butt was all red with horizontal stripes from one side to the other. The flesh was so sore I could barely touch it let alone sit on it. The day went by. I stayed in my bed. Hungry and thirsty. Nola never came. Even i
My fingers curled around the paper, crumbling it from sight. All my fears came to a halt when those ruthless silvers met my blue ones, and pure anger and worry morphed the emotions into a swirl in the back of my mind. He stepped in, closed the door and strolled past me in such arrogance like he wasn't even the list bit concerned about the seething girl before him. How could he? It was the same vulnerable girl he tortured, pushed around as he wished, pulled the strings as he deemed essential. But this girl wouldn't back down when it came to the people she cared about. She could growl and fight back. I turned around and found him sitting on the sofa with his arms splayed over the sofatops, and one knee over the other. His eyes watched me bored like rudely encouraging me to spill the beans already. "What did you do to Nola?" I asked. He stared at me for a few seconds, then his eyes dragged lower to my thighs and back, and he tilted his head as if to ask 'Did you forget your last pun
I gulped. Took one step back. He took one closer. One more, then another. My back hit the desk behind, and I felt the colors draining from my face. I was in no state to take another punishment, not in a million times wished it upon me. "The fuck were you doing here?" he spat, his eyebrows drawn together in a threatening way. "I... I-I..." I looked around for a clue on what to use as my excuse for my own breathing was too loud for my thoughts to process properly. My hands were shaking worse now. The weight of the book inside my shirt slowly slipping added to the feeling of pure, raw terror. The consequence of breaking his rules were never as soft as the spanking I got from my papa when younger. No. They came down upon me like a thunder, leaving marks for future lessons. And right now, the way his silver eyes were darkening, and jaw clenching, it was all the warning I needed to try harder for myself. From the corner of my eyes, I spotted the duster brush on the floor by the door
Before I could stop her, Tera snatched the paper from my hand. "No-no. Wait!" I tried to reach for it, but I was no match to her height, and the glare she was directing my way froze me in my ground. My heart didn't beat inside me, it pounded like a madman getting all his anger out on a door. The word caught echoed in my head. I was dead. So dead. She'd tell him; he'd know. He'd know about my papa. He would go after him and...Uncrumpling the paper, she stared at it, her brows furrowing angrily. I gulped. I had the urge to hit her in the head, finish her, stop her from going to Hades. I urged violence to save my loved one. I might have even acted on it had she not turned the paper over, her eyes blinking in confusion. She turned it back, then raised it before my eyes. "What is it? What were you trying to do?" I stared at the blank paper, not being able to fathom a thing. There was no single word message on it anymore. It looked like not even a scratch from a pen graced it ever.
Blood drained from my system at his words, and I whipped around, my eyes wide with a dread so chilling it one upped the cold on the outside. "No..." I shook my head. "No, you can't." "You have been a pain in the arse." Clink.The tears built up inside me once again. "I have taught you enough lessons, but you never learn, do you?" "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to do it..." I trailed, feeling my cheeks dampen. Taking a step towards me, he loomed closer to my height. His index finger traced along the skin under my eye, collecting a single drop of tear, and he eyed it. "This crocodile tears you and your father shed-" his eyes found mines back, and he flicked the teardrop back on my face, making me wince, "means nothing to me." I shook my head, my sobs turning into hiccups now. The mere thought of staying in this oubliette made something snap within my heart. Maybe a nerve or the heart itself. He straightened back up and circled me. "You think you can do whatever you want. Ruin som
Hades's POV~ Darkness; a prime part of me if not the whole. I functioned better in its cloak, almost like the devil feeding off of its sinister energy. It took me under its wing the day I became an orphan, promising me the agonies of my enemies in return. I heeded, and now I ruled it. It never disappointed me either, rather welcomed me with an open arm. That's how I felt when I entered my favorite part of the penitentiary. The smell of blood filled my nostrils, and I sucked it in like a sniff of drug. The smell of my enemy's blood. There is a difference in the smell of the blood regarding its holder. Some smelled sweet and pure while the others acrid and acerbic. It's true when they say your blood rots with the amount of corruption you feed your soul with. Rogues; they had the foulest of blood, so putrefied it stung the lungs when sucked in, poisoned the flesh. Yet they were my favorite type. It was the type belonging to my enemies. Stopping in front of a body on the cobbled
Gisella's POV~Bare feet. A dark hallway. The feeling of being watched. I gasped for air as I frantically whirled around looking for an exit. Thinking of a protector who could save me. I opened my mouth to call for him and instead of my father's name all that came out was, "Hades!" No. No, I didn't wanna call for him. If anything, I was running from him. He was the biggest threat to me, and my papa's existence. He was the one hunting for our blood. Yet, why was I calling for him? Then I felt it, a presence as eerie and bone-chilling as the dead of night behind me. I stilled, my breathing following suit. On curled toes, I pivoted around slowly. Two red eyes stared back. They were approaching me. My senses told me to run, but my feet seemed to glue to the ground. I couldn't move, I couldn't scream. It launched at me. My eyes shot open, and I jumped up to a sitting position, heaving like I had been running for hours. My frantic gaze steered around, taking in my surroundings. I
Eight years later~ "Elizah?" I stared at the empty room, my brows furrowing. He was supposed to be in his table studying. "Elizah," I called again in a low voice afraid the twins might wake back up.I and Nola spent three hours trying to get them to sleep, and then I dozed off, completely forgetting that I had promised my elder son to help with his homework. Walking down the hall, I checked in the other rooms, even the twins' just in case he decided to visit them like he did sometimes, yet no sign of him. My stomach knotted with unease. Normally, he'd come running to me on my first call, occasionally the second no matter where he was in the house. He was such a sweet kid. But today as I ran around looking for him, I knew something wasn't right. Not working myself up as the doc suggested because of the heart problems I developed over the years as heirloom, I decided to check his hiding spots. There were several throughout the house, the most used one being behind his bookshelves in
One month later~ I sat before the huge mirror like a mannequin princess being coddled by a dozen women. A soft, warm air blew on my hair as someone blow-dried it. Two painted my nails, and another ran several brushes on my face applying make-up. This was the big day. My wedding. Yet as I looked up searching for familiar faces among the people surrounding me I missed the ones I called family. Some more than the others. Some I hated that I ever loved. They took things from me. Significant things. Parts of my heart that I can never get back. But it was a relief knowing the ominous time was over. The evil lurking in the dark waiting to pounce and feed on our happiness was gone forever. And if someone new decided to test their luck, I knew Hades would be right there, protecting his family, and his pack like the feared blood alpha he was. And with him beside me, I too could tackle any storm, swallow any pain and vanquish any enemy that dared to wedge their evil ploys between us. "The d
"No!" I screamed, my chest constricting so painfully I could be sure I was having a heart attack. But it turned out to be fruitful because Gordon's head shot my way, and Hades took that opportunity to slam his forearm on his elbow pit, making a crack echo through the trees. He didn't stop there because the next moment he headbutted the elder sending him flying across. Hades was bloody all over, but he was okay. However, there was no relief as I knelt beside Tera, my head spinning, and a strange pressure building in my belly. Shaking my head, I glanced at the huge broken branch sticking out of her torso. "Tera," I cried out. "Why did you do it?""Don't... get your knickers... in a twist, woman. I'm not... dying for you," she spoke between coughs, her eyes squeezing shut as she clutched the wood and tugged at it. But it didn't budge. She tried again, a gritting scream leaving her lips, but once again, the wood piece refused to come out. It was stuck to something inside. Falling b
The blood in my veins went still as I stared at the man before me. Silver rooted hair and grey eyes. He had the proudest smile plastered on his face as he closed the gap between him and Iris into a loud, sloppy kiss. "Mhm, I missed you, babe," Iris cooed. "I'm here now, my love," he cooed back, and they both turned to me with matching looks of pure mockery. The nerves!Those two? Together? All this time? Shock and disgust combined with each other struck me frozen for a moment. My gut feelings had always been right. Of course it had to be him. Every single of those evidences denoted so. I should've known. I should've fought harder with Hades to prove my reasonings. But then the shock got buried under the weight of the brazen revelation of his dirty game.Every ounce of blood in my veins started to downright scorch. "The fuck you just said?" I snarled. "Manners, girl," uncle Gordon spoke, but then his lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Oh wait, I forgot you didn't have a mother to
Once Garett called off the celebration, the guests started departing with confusion and disappointment washing off the earlier enjoyment from their faces. Some even looked annoyed, but of course they knew better than to complain. I, on the other hand, felt like there was a stress attack swirling deep inside me, but I couldn't freak out now. I had to think about my child. I had to keep it from any kind of harm's way. And when Nola and Iris ran my way, the panic somewhat alleviated from my core. "What happened?" Iris asked. "Are you feeling alright, darling?" Nola followed. "I'm fine," I replied, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. "I think they caught Alpha Ryan." Nola gasped while Iris sent me a baffled look. "Who's that?" "An alpha who attacked our pack a while back. He even tried to hurt Gisella," Nola explained.Iris' eyes rounded, and she looked around, her gaze alert. "Luna," Wyett and the two other bodyguards stepped closer, "We should go. Alpha asked to take you back
"Why are we here?" I asked, looking around at the fancy shopping mall Hades brought me first thing in the morning. His arms wrapped around my torso and whirled me around. I frowned, staring at the shop before me, but then the name and the long white fluffy gown on display of the shop quenched all my curiosity, and I gasped, my eyes widening. I whipped around too fast, felling a dizziness follow. But I shook it off, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you going to buy me a wedding dress?" "You're not planning on marrying me in one of your pink sundresses, are you?" I giggled, my insides bubbling with excitement. "No, but a pink bridal gown wouldn't be bad, don't you think?" "Nothing on you looks bad. Drill that into your head, pet." I smiled, feeling a silly swooning moment pass me at the nickname. I missed hearing it from him. It might sound crazy, but I might even prefer this over love, or weird enough, my own name.Hades did as per my wish though. Because the next thing I kne
I sat at the hospital bed anxiously watching Hades and the pack doctor talking between themselves. I couldn't fathom what gotten into Hades all of a sudden. The whole way back home he had been so paranoid even the smallest sounds or movements around got him unduly worked up, and so overly protective even the smallest of road bumps made his free hand shot out to shield me. I had asked him, but he refused to answer before the doctor checked. I told him I was fine. It was only the weakness from not eating enough, but he wouldn't budge. He even made sure half of the nurses from the hospital come aid me like I was some patient with serious illness. My perturbation palliated a little when Bree barged into the private chamber. "Bree," I relieved. Greeting the Alpha, she rushed to me. "Luna, I heard what happened. Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "No, I'm not. But Hades is acting weird I don't understand why. Do you know anything?" She sent me an apologetic smile. "I'm having my hunches,
Sneaking Sam's car keys wasn't the easiest thing, but I did it. I took his car and slipped out of the Church ground. I left my scarf in the shade just so Hades wouldn't lose my scent completely and go berserk. I knew it was the stupidest thing to do right now, but I also knew Hades wouldn't believe me. Not without proof. Whichever uncle Gordon was talking about. And at this point, I was desperate. Something in my guts told me he was speaking about my papa's apartment. Something inside suspected he was behind this murder. I only needed to prove it to Hades and the world. But what I didn't understand was why he would do that. As Papa said the one who started it steered Papa and the other hunters looking for the culprit to the Vilkas spouses. He framed them to get out of the hook. But would Gordon really do that? He had been raising Hades since their death, and sometimes it even felt like he was angry at me for being the daughter of the one who took his brother's life. Then... Could
"Gisele, let me handle this." "So you can let him off the hook?" "I'd never do that," Hades clipped. I stared at him. Maybe he wouldn't because as I had always heard, Hades took justice to a whole new level. He didn't even spare a rare hybrid for wronging one of his allies. Didn't care what the council had to say. "If he's guilty," he added. My teeth gritted. Maybe it was because he never punished a family member before cause when it came to family, even the great rulers fell weak. Turning away from him, I barged through the office door uncle Gordon worked in now. He had been staying in the pack since we arrived from Alaska and helping Hades operate the pack business while he had been recovering and spending more time with me. It felt like a blessing until now. I couldn't keep control of my anger as I stormed right to his desk and slammed my hands on it. "You. You killed my father." He looked up, eyes widening for a brief moment, then they hardened. "Gisella," Hades appeare